[125] Meanwhile, the
power plant laboratory at Wright Field started actions responsive to
the ARDC directive of August 1954. Four procurement requests were
initiated during the first quarter of 1955. On 6 January, PR 303 was
initiated with $750 000 for a [126] contract with
Summers Gyroscope Company to explore the Rae concepts, including the
study of an aircraft design. For unknown reasons, this procurement
request was recalled and reinitiated with a new date, 10 March 1955.
It became the subject of much controversy and negotiation.

On 14 January 1955, a second procurement
request, PR 305, was initiated to investigate hydrogen as a fuel in
conventional turbojet engines. Four engine manufacturers were listed
as sources, but when the form reached Philip J. Richie, a procurement
official of the power plant laboratory, he added five more to be
solicited. The requests, sent out on 2 February, had a due date of 15
March. On 20 February, Richie received a puzzling directive from ARDC
Headquarters: give the Garrett Corporation an opportunity to submit a
proposal on PR 305. He reluctantly complied, but did not extend the
due date. Garrett bid on this and later attempted to include the same
kind of work in other proposals but was unsuccessful. On 15 June, PR
305 resulted in a contract with United Aircraft for $543 000.

In recognition of the unique properties of
liquid hydrogen, the power plant laboratory initiated two procurement
requests for studies of liquid hydrogen tanks and insulation on 25
March 1955. PR 338 resulted in a contract with Beech Aircraft in June
for $172 000. PR 339 became a contract with the Garrett Corporation
in October, but until then it was caught in the same web of
controversy and negotiations with Garrett as PR
303.29

When PR 303, with Summers Gyroscope as the
sole source, reached Richie in March, he decided that a talk with
Thomas Summers was necessary. When Summers came to Wright Field,
Richie was puzzled to find him in no hurry to submit the necessary
proposal. He soon learned the reason. On 22 March, Richie was
summoned to ARDC headquarters and learned that the headquarters
procurement officer objected to PR 303; Garrett had acquired Summer's
interest in Rex and was the company to deal with.* Richie also learned during his visit that Gen. Marvin
Demler, Gen. J.W. Sessums, Col. Paul Nay, and other top officials at
ARDC were very familiar with the Rex program and wanted a contract
executed fast.30

* The date of
Garrettís acquisition of Rex interests from Rae and Summers is
not clear. An indenture and transfer agreement on the patents dated
18 March 1955 appears to be the eearliest date. However, another
indenture agreement was signed on 22 June 1955 from Rae to Garett and
Summers to Garrett. On 29 July 1955, an announcement was made at a
meeting of Air Force and Garrett officials that Garrett had acquired
the Summers interest in the Rex engine. Garrett File, AFSC, Andrews
AFB.